


When Two Become One

by KatSensei



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Canon Universe, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatSensei/pseuds/KatSensei
Summary: The Fourth Great Shinobi War has ended. For many, live will never be the same and for two shinobi in particular, it might lead to something even better. When Sasuke finally allows Sakura to join him on his journey, the two come to find out that the only thing they ever needed to be whole was each other.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

_**Chapter One** _

As the sun begins its infant crawl above the horizon, a young woman finds a moment of peace.

She frees her hair from its confines and drapes her white coat over the back of her chair. Her fingers are lithe and delicate but the various nicks and scars suggest an aptitude for battle. 

This was Haruno Sakura, a world renowned medic and the former student of one of the Legendary Sannin and retired Godaime Hokage, Lady Tsunade. With the culmination of the war and her former teacher’s guidance, her duties and reputation as the shinobi world’s best medic have grown considerably.

The office she occupied was small but, unlike her shisou, she was much more skilled at keeping things orderly. Two shelves lined the left wall with complete rows of medical books, some new and others heavy with signs of frequent usage..

Anatomical maps and diagrams hang neatly on the right wall between two armchairs and a side table. A vase of elegant-looking shobu sat in the center of the table, a celebratory gift from her dear friend Ino. Though her green thumb wasn’t nearly as refined, it’s overall condition was no worse for wear.

A soft knock interrupts the peace for a moment.

“Come in.”

A dark haired woman enters the office. Thin lines shape the grooves under her eyes but she still maintains an air of youth. It is Sakura’s senior and former co-apprentice, Shizune.

“You seem to be settling in well.”

“Ah. Though it does feel a little strange.”

Shizune’s eyes are soft with an almost maternal glow. Her laugh is light but infectious enough to prompt Sakura to join her. “It’ll just take some getting used to is all. Lady Tsunade and I have faith in you.”

Sakura nods and gestures to the small stack of folders tucked under Shizune’s arm. 

“Hm? Oh these—they are for you. An assignment.”

The folders exchange hands and Sakura opens the first with hesitation. “An assignment huh, what kind?” Shizune shakes her head, a mild apology nestled in her eyes.

“I’m not really sure. Lady Tsunade asked me to bring them to you. You just finished a shift a little while ago, didn’t you? You should go home and get some rest. I’m sure there’s no rush.”

At this, Sakura closes the file and turns her gaze to the window behind her. “Everyone is working hard for the sake of the village and the peace others gave their lives to protect.” Down below, the people of the Leaf Village emerge and grasp onto their daily lives—children and elders alike. “Everyone was impacted by the war in some way,” her eyes harden as she turns to the older kunoichi with a determined look, “We owe it to them to give it our all everyday to ensure that never happens again.”

For a moment, Shizune is in awe. Within this girl, no...woman, a fire of passion runs rampant. Such remarks of wisdom reminded her of Lady Tsunade when she had first begun to study under her master. It wasn’t just Lady Tsunade but Naruto as well. The boy who had once been shunned by the village had become a hero thanks to his spirit and ability to connect with others. Of course it was only natural that some of his tendencies had rubbed off on Sakura.

“You’re a lot like them too,” Shizune says with a wide grin that pulls at her eyes.

“Huh? Them?”

“Ah—it’s nothing!” Having said her piece, the eldest of the two gives a slight bow and makes her exit.

Sakura tilts her head and her left brow raises with curiosity.  _ I wonder what she meant by them?  _ The desire to linger on the thought doesn’t stay for long. “Mou... maybe she’s right. I haven’t been home in two days.” Those slender fingers tangle with the seemingly endless rows of pink hair and Sakura releases a sigh.

Though the idea of getting home to a hot shower and fresh clothes is enticing, the files on her desk are still nagging at her.  _ Maybe just one won’t hurt,  _ she convinces herself and pulls the first file towards her once more.

The contents within don’t imply a sense of immediate concern, much to Sakura’s dismay. A silver clip holds a picture of a young boy in place. He looks to be around eight or nine and his silver hair and dark eyes remind her of her former sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

Inside of the file, there is also a report but many of the pages are void of any real information. Little more than the boy’s name and parents are listed and from what the report notes, he is uncooperative with the other medics. A shuffle of the few report pages causes a scrap of paper to fall out. Sakura immediately recognizes the handwriting—it’s Lady Tsunade’s.

_ Sakura, _

_ I hope that you are settling well into your new duties and your office. It’s rather small but it is the best I could do on such short notice. You’ll make good use of it either way I’m sure. I don’t want to overwhelm you so much just yet but if you could tend to these few things for me, it should help with the transition into what we talked about. Again, well done. I expected nothing less from my disciple. _

_ Tsunade  _

Her shisou’s words make her swell with pride and she tucks the note away in her drawer for safekeeping. The moment is short lived as her attention returns to the file. There wasn’t much to go on but it appears that she needs to gather information on the mysterious boy. With it still being so early, it would be a while before she could talk to him. With her decision made, she shifts the files to her drawer and makes her leave.

Just outside the hospital, the scent of fresh grass after the night’s rain catches her nose. With the growing warmth of the sun and it’s rapid ascent, it was only a matter of time before the scattered puddles dried. With the promise of a good day lingering on the horizon, she is eager to get home to make the most of her day.

Before she can take more than a few steps, a hawk’s call pierces her ear. The sun is not high enough to blind her as it swoops down with speed. 

Her instincts tell her to dodge but just short of a foot away, the mighty spread of the bird’s wings pull back as it braces with its feet for impact. She offers the creature her arm and it lands gently. It fixes her with a curious look with it’s golden eyes and nudges its brown plumage before returning it’s eyes to Sakura. 

She studies it closer and notes that the bird is rather familiar. Suddenly, it hits her and her eyes grow wide—it’s Sasuke’s messenger hawk.

Around its ankle is a small fragment of paper. She takes the note and raises her arm, allowing the bird to take flight once more. She reads the message closely, once and then again. She tightens her grip on it between both sets of her thumbs and index fingers, careful not to tear it. Her eyes shut for a moment before turning to the sky.

“Sasuke-kun.”

In her eyes, a glimmer of emotions reflect there and settle just above her smile as she recounts his final message to her. 

She was going to see him soon, and this time, they were going...together.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.** _

* * *

**Chapter Two**

On the outskirts of Kirigakure, a solitary figure passes through a vast autumnal wood.

His pace is slow with an almost leisurely gait. It’s a luxury afforded to him that he had not had for quite some time. It was certainly not so long ago that his every movement was under heavy scrutiny and those that had kept his company were equally not well received.

However, years had gone by since then and though no longer a criminal, he never seems to linger in one place for long. This is Uchiha Sasuke.

A once robust child who proudly donned the Uchiha crest upon his back and struggled beneath the shadow of his elder brother, was now a young man with his own merits and mark on the world. Many knew who he was and his name carries weight across the five great nations.

After the war and his conceding battle with his closest friend and rival, Sasuke had obtained a new goal. Refusing to accept a new arm to replace the one he lost, he often reflects on its absence as a reminder of his humility. With his mind and heart no longer ill with the plague of hatred that had tainted his family, he could travel the world and open himself to all it had to offer.

So he walks, with no particular destination in mind, hoping to see that which he could not see before. And yet, though thousands of miles from home, every now and then his thoughts would be filled with his old team. There was his old teacher, the silver-haired copy nin, Hatake Kakashi that had emulated an uncle of sorts. There was Uzumaki Naruto, his best friend, rival, and in many ways, a brother akin to the one he’d lost. And then, there was her. Haruno Sakura. In spite of everything, her affections that had once been little more than a persistent school girl crush had developed into a fierce love and desire to save him from himself. It was a love he often felt unworthy of, given their history, but his gratitude for such was immeasurable.

These are just a few of the many thoughts that consume his mind but today, things were different.

A week ago, he had stopped at a nearby village to restock on supplies and rest. In passing, word of a small town to the east had reached him. Reports of violent bandits in the area had begun to spread leaving many restless and concerned for their businesses and families.

Sasuke often refrained from getting involved in such matters directly, particularly considering that outside interference without authorization could spell more trouble than it was worth. However, his conscience would often get the better of him and this time was no different.

Within a few hours, his feet come to rest outside a poorly-made wooden fort.

A thin wire runs along the ground, supported by a kunai at each end. Though Sasuke’s perception skills were nothing short of impressive, it didn’t take a shinobi with Nara Shikamaru’s IQ to notice the trap set above. To an ordinary shinobi, the wiser option would be to avoid the trap altogether. Sasuke was no ordinary shinobi.

Using his single right hand, he pulls a lone shuriken from his pouch and with perfect precision, cuts through the trip wire. Two massive logs fall inward together with Sasuke right between them. The paper tags taped to each surface explode on impact leaving a thick cloud of smoke, ash and wooden debris.

One bandit, a young man, rushes out first. “Alright, I think we got him!”

Another man follows suit. He’s several years older than the other and the absence of his shirt gives view to the many scars covering his torso. “Ah. So it would seem,” the elder man says, his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “We’ll have the others prepare another trap. Word is getting out so it won’t be long before others come by.”

As the older man turns to return inside the encampment, the younger calls for him. “H-hey wait a sec! There’s no body here!”

“Huh?”

As the smoke becomes clear, so does the truth. There’s no body or traces of blood to indicate that their trap had been successful.

“I’ll assume neither of you are shinobi. One would certainly know better than to make a trap so obvious.” These words emit from within the forest as none other than Sasuke himself emerges, unharmed.

“What did you say?”

“You’re the ones going around terrorizing small villages; the ones who call themselves the Gashin Gang?”

“What’s it to y—,” comes the fiery voice of the young man but the scar-riddled one steps forward in front of the other, holding his hand up to silence him.

“Calm yourself Inoue,” he orders and turns his look upon Sasuke. “So you’ve heard of us? Clearly you’re no ordinary shinobi to have avoided that unscathed. Very well then, I am Gashin and this is my brother Inoue. We, along with a few others, make up the Gashin gang.”

Sasuke remains silent, his look one of clear disregard. Within the encampment, the screams of a woman reaches him. Sasuke moves to rush inside but Gashin moves in front of him just as quickly.

Gashin draws his sword and lunges at Sasuke, forcing the latter to draw his as well. The sound of clashing metal cuts through the air as the two of them attempt to exert their force over one another.

“Inoue, get inside with the others,” Gashin manages through clenched teeth, just narrowly dodging a jab from Sasuke.

“But...big brother—“

“Now!” He yells, adding a burst of pressure that sends Sasuke back just a few feet. Reluctantly, Inoue rushes inside the encampment leaving only Sasuke and Gashin out in the open. The two of them clash again and it’s then that Sasuke speaks.

Holding his ground, he notes, “You seem to care a lot about your younger brother.”

“So what? Are you gonna talk kid or are you gonna fight?”

While it’s clear that Gashin was good with a sword, he was no real shinobi, just an armed bandit. If Sasuke were to truly fight him, it would hardly be an accomplishment, not that he cared either way. However, with Gashin growing more frustrated and the battle in Sasuke’s favor, he pushes on with his speech.

“If you truly cared about him, you should want to keep him out of trouble. Instead, you’ve made him a criminal.”

“A criminal,” Gashin scoffs, applying more force to allow distance between them, “We’re no criminals, we’re simply taking back what’s ours.”

“What’s yours?” Sasuke pauses to ask, his eyes narrowing with caution.

“Ah. My brother and I were born here. Our mother took ill just after Inoue was born and soon after, she died.” Gashin relents for a moment, his eyes shut as he recounts his past in front of Sasuke. “Our father used to be a rogue nin but had sought to change his ways and had become a soldier here. He struggled with our mother’s loss the most and soon, he was unable to work. He went to the elders to ask for assistance to help raise my brother and I but they denied him and instead sent us away!”

“So you want revenge then?” 

“Hmph! I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand,” Gashin says and charges at Sasuke once more. With a swoop of his leg, Sasuke sends Gashin to the ground and points his sword just inches away from his chest.

Briefly, memories of a tortured past brimming with hatred and revenge flashes across the young Uchiha’s mind. 

“You’re wrong.”

“Eh?”

Lowering his sword, Sasuke sheathes it once more and looms over Gashin’s defeated form. “Our circumstances may be different but I also know what it’s like to be consumed by hatred. If you keep down the path of revenge, you’ll only find loneliness.”

Just past the two of them, a small remaining group of bandits come fleeing from inside the encampment. In the trees surrounding the camp is a group of archers. The small group of bandits fall to their knees around Gashin with Inoue rushing to his brother’s side. 

“B-boss we’ve been caught! What do we do,” cries one of the bandits.

One of the archers leaps down from the trees and walks over to Sasuke. “Thank you, we’ll take over things from here.” Sasuke nods and watches as a few of the other archers begin taking the bandits into custody. They hoist up the two brothers, securing their hands behind their back.

With his work done, Sasuke turns to leave but Gashin calls out to him. “You there, kid. What you said before...I’m already alone.”

“No. You still have your brother who looks up to you. As long as you have someone who’s thinking about you, you’ll never truly be alone,” Sasuke lectures over his shoulder.

“What about you?”

Sasuke pauses once more.

“Do you have someone who thinks about you? One with whom you’re connected?”

Turning his eyes to the sky, Sasuke thinks for a moment. Immediately, memories of one of his former teammates fills his thoughts. Her smile and her gentle healing touch filled him with a warmth unlike any other. His message should reach her soon and perhaps then…

“Ah,” is Sasuke’s only reply as he leaves the scene behind him. 

Once again he begins his leisurely pace through the forest and his thoughts are ones of peace at the thought of having  _ her _ at his side. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Your feedback and time is greatly appreciated and I wouldn’t want to take this journey without you. ^^ Until next time! さようなら！


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